Mark Wahlberg

Singer / Actor

Born: 5 June 1971

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts

Best known as: Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights

Mark Wahlberg was a pop singer and an underwear model before becoming a Hollywood star. He was briefly part of the original New Kids On The Block, the band of Boston city kids whose factory-made pop dance tunes overwhelmed the charts in the 1980s. He then formed Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch and became a pop idol in his own right, famous for his agreeable dance tunes and oft-exposed briefs. (His penchant for dropping his trousers got him a job as a Calvin Klein underwear model). He turned to acting in TV's The Substitute (1993), and earned nods from critics for his portrayal of Dirk Diggler in 1997's Boogie Nights (co-starring Don Cheadle). Late in the decade he starred with chum George Clooney in two more hits, Three Kings (1999) and The Perfect Storm (2000, also with Diane Lane). He has since carved out a career as a leading player of the Everyman variety. His other films include the re-make of The Italian Job (with Mos Def); Rock Star (2001, with Jennifer Aniston); as 30-year-old NFL rookie Vince Papale in the 2006 film Invincible; Martin Scorsese's The Departed (2006); M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening (2008, with Zooey Deschanel); Max Payne (2008, with Ludacris); and The Other Guys (2010, with Will Ferrell).

Extra credit: Wahlberg married his longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham on ! August 2009. Their children together: Ella Rae (b. 2003), Michael (b. 2006), and Brendan Joseph (b. 2007)... Wahlberg's brother Donnie was a longtime member of The New Kids On The Block, a forerunner to boy bands like The Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync... Wahlberg contemporaries with Boston roots include Matt Damon and Eliza Dushku... Wahlberg is the executive producer of the HBO comedy series Entourage.